Wedgemount Lake – BCMC Backpacking Trip

I first hiked up to Wedgemount Lake in 2018 for a day trip and was blown away by the lake and mountain views. Since then, I have wanted to go backcountry camping with Kavya and Kasturi to Wedgemount Lake. It is one of the most challenging hikes in the area, but this year, I felt we were up to the challenge. I told Kavya that it would be easier than the 16-hour summit day on Kilimanjaro.

I posted the trip on BCMC and made it open to family and friends of BCMC members. A total of 14 people joined this trip.

• Melanie, Paul and their 22-month-old son Hazen
• Celeste and her daughter Chloe (12)
• Suhrud, Harini and their friend Rajni
• Elaine and her cousin Kelsey
• Aloke (checkout his YouTube channel and Blog)
• Kasturi, Kavya (11) and me

Pre-trip Planning

The plan was to hike up to the lake on Friday, July 5, stay for two nights, and then hike down on Sunday, July 7. We made the backcountry reservations as soon as they opened on March 5, four months before the trip date. There are 20 tent sites at Wedgemount Lake, and our group has booked seven of them for July 5-7.

Closer to the trip date, we started the discussion on the BCMC Planning Forum on carpooling, gear, and hikes around the lake. I shared my backcountry camping gear list, and Elaine shared the REI Backcpacking Checklist.

Kavya carried her own pack with her sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and personal items. We borrowed a 40L pack from Neha. I think Kavya’s pack weighed around 14 lbs. Kasturi had a 22-lb pack, and mine was just under 35 lbs.

The plan for hikes around Wedgemount Lake was tentative. A few individuals were interested in Mount Cook, the easiest scramble/hike to one of the peaks in this area. I had no plans to do any of the more technical scrambles like Mt. Weart, so I didn’t pack a helmet or ice axe, but I did carry microspikes.

Wedgemount Lake Trail

The group met at the Wedgemount Lake Trailhead at around 10:30 am. After the introductions, we discussed the hike, safety items, and our plan for the weekend. I had already activated the trip plan on Adventure Smart BC and told Gaurav (my emergency contact) that I would call him back before 5 pm on Sunday, July 7.

We started the hike around 11:30 am. Wedgemount Lake Trail is one of the steepest trails in the region, with an elevation gain of 1150 m over 7 km.

I had estimated it would take us 4-5 hours to reach the lake at a slow and steady pace. Kavya was carrying a 40L pack for the first time. Thankfully, she had Chloe and others in the group to interact with and be distracted from the effort.

Melanie was carrying Hazen, and Paul carried one backpack pack and a day pack. They are both really fit and were usually in front of the group. It was inspiring to see what they were doing as a young family.

We reached the first boulder field about two and a half hours into the hike. We filled up water here, as I thought it was the last reliable water source. But we didn’t have to worry. It was still early in the season, and there were enough options to fill up even later.

About four hours into the hike, we were at the base of the final climb. We followed the trail through this second boulder field, which Celeste named “The Valley of Death” on our descent.

It was a steep climb, but within 30 minutes, we cleared it and approached the lake.

Camping at Wedgemount Lake

There are about 20 campsites at Wedgemount Lake. 10 of them are close to the hut, while the others are near the lake. Our group preferred to camp near the lake, another 15-minute hike from the hut.

Our group had booked seven sites in total. We got three sites next to each other, while Suhrud, Harini and Rajni pitched two tents in a nice flat area marked by rocks and seemed like an official site. Elaine and Kelsey joined us about an hour later and Aloke joined the group late at night.

Later, the Rangers informed us that the official sites were only along the lake, and there were a few more sites ahead. But the Rangers allowed our group to continue camping for the weekend since they had already pitched the tents.

One downside of camping by the lake was the access to the bear hang and the pit toilets. The bear hang near the lakeside campsites was damaged, and we had to hike back to the hut to hang our food. The pit toilet was not functional for the season, but the Rangers had it set up the next day. The Rangers informed us that a food cache was planned to be flown in two weeks.

We would get together as a group several times over the weekend. It was fun to talk to a diverse group of BCMC members and hear about their other travel/backpacking experiences.

Kavya and Chloe spent most of their time with Hazen and he seemed to approve of their newly learned baby sitting skills.

Backcountry Kitchen

In terms of food, we had about 5 meals (two dinners, two breakfasts and one lunch) at the campsite and some snacks for the hike up and down. Kasturi prepared the mix for Pohe and Upma, and we just had to add hot water. Combined with instant chai mix, it made for a good breakfast.

We packed a Subway sandwich and made instant soup for dinner the first night. On the second night, we had instant soup and Tacos, which included veggies, cheese, salsa and chips. I even had hummus as a spread on my taco. Kavya’s favourite was Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese, which made up most of her meals on the trip.

Tupper Lake and Ice Cave

On the second day, a few of us hiked to Mount Cook, and I will write a separate post about it.

Others in the group hiked to Tupper Lake, and a few hiked further up to the Ice Cave. Kasturi and Celeste took the kids to Tupper Lake and the Ice Cave. But they didn’t venture further into the cave due to the rockfall hazard.

I saw some pictures of Tupper Lake and was surprised to see how much the glacier had retreated in the last few years.

Aug 31, 2019 – Glacier touching the Tupper Lake

July 6, 2024 – Glacier much higher than the lake

You can read more about the historical records and surveys here. If you can read just one article, read this one as it has a good chart showing how much the glacier has retreated since 1980s.

The kids took the lead in dipping into the ice-cold Wedgemount Lake. Then, Melanie and Paul waded into the lake with amazing calmness, smiling as they dunked multiple times. Hazen cheered for more polar plunge entertainment.

I was not so graceful when I went in and could barely manage one dip. Over the weekend, most of us got in the lake, and some brave souls got in multiple times.

Hike Down

On Sunday, before heading down, we got together for a photo session.

Melanie took a great shot of Chloe and Kavya jumping –

On our way out, we stopped by the Wedgemount Hut.

Finally, around noon, we started our descent. The hike down the steep section to the boulder field was slow, as the loose rocks made it tricky in some sections.

Soon, we were in the forest, and it was a relief to hike in the shade.

We took several short breaks and eventually returned to the parking lot in three and a half hours.

Overall, this was one of the best backcountry camping trips with family. I feel fortunate to do this trip with an amazing group in great weather and enjoy one of the most beautiful parks in BC.

I will leave you with some beautiful night time pictures from Aloke –

Territory Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge that this trip took place on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the St’át’imc (Stat-lee-um), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Líl̓wat Nations. I commit to learning about Indigenous peoples and issues and making reconciliation an ongoing effort.

Source: Native-Land Pronunciation Guide: First-Nations.info

Resources:

First Nations: St’át’imc | Skwxwú7mesh | Líl̓wat

Gear List: Google Sheet | REI Backpacking Checklist

Wedgemount Lake Trail: All Trails | Vancouver Trails

Mount Cook: Our Hike

BC Parks: Camping Reservations | Wedgemount Lake

Weather Forecast – SpotWx | Yr.No | Windy

AdventureSmart – Trip Planning

Disclosure: The links I have shared in the post and under the Resources section are not Affiliate Links.

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